St. Hedwig / St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Eph 1: 1-10

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are also faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us.

For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Destined in Love to be His

Look at the superlatives here: God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, chosen us before the foundation of the world, offered us redemption through Jesus’ blood, granted us forgiveness of our sins, gifted us with the riches of his grace lavished upon us, made known his will to us in all wisdom and insight, unified us together with all things in heaven and in earth!

The words found in today’s reading almost collapse under the weight of trying to express an almost inexpressible concept: God is “all-in” for you! “He destined us in love to be his . . . through Jesus Christ.”

God’s unwavering commitment to you is incomprehensibly profound. He loves you unreservedly and believes in you fully. Take a moment today to ponder this great truth: God really, really, really loves me. To realize that truth is to take the first step towards wellness, wholeness, and personal peace.

—Howard Craig is the director of advancement for the Midwest Jesuits. He and his wife Cheryl have five daughters, six grandkids, and two dogs.

St. Ignatius’s First Principle and Foundation says “The goal of our life is to live with God forever. God, who loves us, gave us life. Our own response of love allows God's life to flow into us without limit.” One of the ways in which we respond to the love God has given us is through prayer, not only personal prayer but community prayer as well.
The Pastoral Ministry Center invites members of our Strake Jesuit Community to share their prayers with us: their concerns, joys, thanksgivings, so that we may walk with them in all these times of their lives.

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St. Hedwig / St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Eph 1: 1-10

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are also faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us.

For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Destined in Love to be His

Look at the superlatives here: God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, chosen us before the foundation of the world, offered us redemption through Jesus’ blood, granted us forgiveness of our sins, gifted us with the riches of his grace lavished upon us, made known his will to us in all wisdom and insight, unified us together with all things in heaven and in earth!

The words found in today’s reading almost collapse under the weight of trying to express an almost inexpressible concept: God is “all-in” for you! “He destined us in love to be his . . . through Jesus Christ.”

God’s unwavering commitment to you is incomprehensibly profound. He loves you unreservedly and believes in you fully. Take a moment today to ponder this great truth: God really, really, really loves me. To realize that truth is to take the first step towards wellness, wholeness, and personal peace.

—Howard Craig is the director of advancement for the Midwest Jesuits. He and his wife Cheryl have five daughters, six grandkids, and two dogs.